Strand-advancing apparatus



Sept. 27, 1955 E. D. HANsON 2,719,012

STRAND-ADVANCING APPARATUS /NVE/v roR E. D. HA NSON fg @y ATTRNV Sept 27, 1955Y .E D. HANSON 2,719,012

STRAND-ADVANCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 BVZM,

A TOR/VEV Sept. 27, 1955 Filed Sept. 5. 1952 E. D. HANSON STRAND-ADVANCING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 /A/VENTOR E. D. HA NSO/V ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1955 Filed Sept. 5. 1952 E. D. HANSON STRAND-ADVANCING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /Nl/EA/TOR E. D. HA NSON ATTORNEY United. States Patent STRAND -ADVANCING' APPARATUS Estyle'D. Hanson,.Baltimore,v Md., assignor'rto Western Electric Company, IncorporatedNew York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 5,1952', Serial No. 308,132

4 Claims.l (Cl. 242.25)v

exit endo of the electroforrn-ingapparatus, takeupi apparatus must=be-provided to #wind` the continuously advancing electrofo'rmed conductors-upon reels which facilitate the storage andffhanding thereof.` Manilestly, the-uniform .progress of!` the conductors through 1 the', electroformingt apparatus cannot be interrupted without causing seriousfdiii- Hence, the takeup` apparatus must:permit the transfer of acond-uctor'frorn a full reel to an empty reel without interrupting *they uniform-progress of thefstrand Va'ndkwh-ilemaintaining tension thereupon- Itisan Object offthisinvention to1provide. new and improved strand-advancing1apparatusr 'It is-Ia further object of this invention-toprovidenew and.- improved takeup apparatus for y continuously advancing til'amentary conductors Other; objects ofxlthis yinvention` `will become-apparent asltlresspecitieation proceeds.A

Apparatus `errrb'odying certain `features of thisqinventionnmay;.ineludef-driving meansi fororotatingaly reel to wind la lstrand. thereupon; and u means .-for1sirnult`aneously disconnecting theyA reel. lfrorn` the. driving means. and. for drivingly engaging the strand :to ycontinue itsr advance.

Aacomplete; understandingof the; invention may be liado from the. following detailedfdesoriptionof aspecic embodiment thereof; when read; inoconjunction with the appended drawings, in `which:` i

Fig.; l I is; `a schematic -side elevation of strand-,handling apparatus for continuously,advancing;a 'pluralitybof steel wiresfthroughan electroforming apparatus; FigaZ 'isi .a front elevation ;0f a takeup apparatus forming` a specific embodiment-of theinvention=;

norm-alzoperatingf: position,and

- Fig-,4 is aside-elevationoflthe Italceup,apparatus in its .fdisengaged position;I K

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to.Fig.1, there is shown-,.,aschematic arrangement-.of an l apparatus. `designed to. advancea plurality l of steel Wires --10.=frorn left y.tou-.right through 'an..elec,troforrning, apparatus indicated generally at 12..,which is,` designed'l to deposit a heavy coating ofcopper electrolytically; onthe wires4 rdimm-,Copper .Covered steeLcQnductOrs. `13---13.

vvapparatuslZ .does not form apertinem `part'ofthepresent..invention, and:l hence., will, .be` described .f `herein only linsotarasis necessary fora complete.-llnderstandingpf the invention.

2,719,012 Patenfedsepta 27, 1955 "ice The electroforming apparatus 12 (Fig. 1) includes an elongated trough 15, in whicharepositioned a series of shallow, rectangular tanks 16e-16. The-tanks 16-'41'6 are lledwithcleaning solutionsand electroplating .solu tions, and arearranged in `thel `trough :1S to electrolytieall)7 clean and pickle the steel. Wires .10-10and 'thereafter to deposit a heavy Acoatingof copper electrolyticallygon the steel wires `as Vthey aregadvanced through theivelec.- troforming apparatus. The-wires 1'0.-10 pass under contact rollers 17;-17'and over contactprollersI 18"'-18 journaled rotatably in the Aside walls of the. trough 15. The rollers 17-17 and 18-181are provided .with vequally spaced peripheral grooves (not shown)V which maintainfa predetermined spacedrelationship between the Wires as they are advanced through the tanks 16.-16.f The tanks 16-16 are connected to apositive D. C. .potentiahand the rollers 17-17 and 18-18 are connectedto anegative D. C. potential, so. that the solutions contained in the tanks 16-16 clean the steel wires 10-10,electro'- lytically and deposit copper .electrolyticallythereupon to form the. copper covered conductorsv 13%13. The contact rollers 17-17 Vand.18.18.are rotatedbyan endless chain 20 connected to be driven by anelectric motor 21, so that the rollers tend to advance the. wires from left to right asviewed in Fig. 1.

Thesteel wires 10-10:.(Fig. l) are withdrawnfrom supply ,reels 23--23-a positioned in a. stationary manner on stands 24-24lmounted ona base 25,.by a magnetic capstan indicated generallyat 28. The capstan 28:is

.mountedon a. support 29 adjacentito the leftfend ofthe trough 15,*` and/is driven by an-electric motor 30'at a constant rate of.fspeed. Eaclrindividual` wire lll-.passes around an idler sheave 33. and a brakesheave 34 mounted on an elongated support 35. The brake sheaves 34-.34 guide theirrespective strands to a bank of sheaves 37-37 which fan out the `wires and direct them toward a bank ,of sheaves, .one of which designated 38 'is shown in Fig;` l. rlhese sheaves aremountedrotatably on a shaft 392 secured to the support 29. The sheaves 38'-38 are positioned `spacedly on the shaft 39 so as to space the wires 10.-10

a distance `apart equal to the lateral spacing of the wires ontherollers 17-.-17 and 18-18. The wires pass around a portion of their respective sheaves38-38 in ka counterclockwise ldirection (Fig-l) andthen around a substan- ,tial portion of the capstan 22S-inv a clockwisedirection.

Thel magnetic capstan 28 is designed to grip Vthe steel VWires 10-10 magnetically in equally spaced,1 peripheral, substantiallyU-shapred grooves; (not shown) provided therein as thecapstan .is rotated in a clockwise direction: as viewed in Fig.- 1 bythe Vmotor 30,` and torthereby withdraw the Wires.10--10 from their respectivegreels at. aconstant linear speed.

The wires .lt'l--lll-(Fig.4 l) pass from the..capstan.28 (Figs. l and 2.) between the Contact rollers 17e-17 and 18--18 of the electroforrning apparatus.v The wires 10-10 are platedV during their passage through -the ytanks, 16-16 to form conductors 13-13 which pass partly around Aa cylindricalcapstan-144 mounted. on the support 29 -at1the right-handendof the trough .15 anddriven by an electric motor 46.1y The vcapstan 4'42hasA a 4pluralityof equally spaced peripheral grooves (not shown)v toreceive the conductors 13-13 and to maintain lthe same spacing therebetween vas is provided by the peripheral grooves in the rollers 17-17'and 18-18. The conductors 13-13 pass around a substantial portion of the capstan 44 ina clockwise direction and'then partly arounda bankof sheaves similar to the ,sheaves 38-38; one of whichis shown at 47 in Fig. 1. These Asheaves are mountedrotatably cna shaft 48 secured to the support 29, and direct the coppencladconductors V13 -13 to abank of sheavesv 49-49 supported individually and rotatably on the sup- 'of these units will suce.

port so as to guide their respective conductors toward takeup apparatus shown generally at 101.

Since the takeup apparatus 101 consists of a plurality of identical units, one takeup unit being provided for each of the strands 13-13, a detailed description of only one As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each of the takeup units includes a cast steel bracket plate 110 which is secured by threaded fasteners to a common horizontal structural cross member 112. The bracket plate 110 is formed with angularly depending brackets 114 and 115 at opposite ends thereof, which rotatably support a horizontally disposed operating rod 117. The operating rod 117 has a lever 120 ixedly secured thereto at its right end, as viewed in Fig. 2, and an operating handle 121 is secured to the free end of the lever 120. Rotatably mounted on the left end of the rod 117 is a belttensioner assembly 122, which consists of a pair of arms 124-124, a sleeve 125, rotatable upon the rod, to which the arms are secured, and a jockey pulley 127 rotatably mounted on a shaft 128 supported between the free ends of the arms.

An adjustment collar 129 is keyed upon the rod 117 between the sleeve 125 of the belt-tensioner assembly 122 and the support bracket 114 for rotation with the rod. The adjustment collar 129 is provided with a pair of opposing set screws 131-131 designed to engage the opposite faces of a lug 133 projecting from the sleeve 125 of the assembly 122. By means of complementary adjustments made to the screws 131-131, changes in the angular position of the belt-tensioner assembly 122 relative to the rod 117, may be effected. A stop 134, projecting from the bracket 114, is designed to engage a cooperating raised portion of the adjustment collar 129 to limit the clockwise angular movement of the rod 117.

Projecting from the hub portion of the lever 120 is an eccentric arm 135, the free end of which is connected by means of a turnbuckle 137 to a tension spring 138 which in turn is anchored to the base of the apparatus by suitable anchoring means designated 139. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The tension spring 138 normally urges the lever 120 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 3) with a force determined by the adjustment of the turnbuckle 137, thereby resiliently urging the rod 117 into an angular position wherein the jockey pulley 127 of the belt-tensioner assembly 122 is held in pressing contact with a drive belt 140. The belt 140 is driven by a drive pulley 142 keyed to a horizontally extending drive shaft 144, common to all of the takeup units, which is driven continuously by a suitable drive motor (not shown) and is supported in journal bearings, such as the bearing 145, secured to the face of the bracket plate 110.

The belt 140 is designed to transmit power from the rotating drive shaft 144 to an arbor 147 which is normally in frictional engagement with a complementary portion of one of the flanges 150-150 of a reel 152 rotatably supported between the arbor 147 and an oppositely positioned free-wheeling arbor 153 mounted on a retractable, freely rotatable shaft 155. The arbor 147 is operatively connected to the drive shaft 144 by means of the belt 140 and a tail pulley 157 mounted therewith on a common shaft.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, which illustrates the positions of certain of the aforementioned elements of a takeup unit when the lever 120 is in its normal position, the jockey pulley 127 is normally held in pressing engagement with one leg of the loop formed by the belt 140, due to the action of the tension spring 138 which produces a predetermined couple. It will be noted that the line of action of the force exerted by the tension spring 138 is on the left side of the dead center position of the veccentric arm 135, as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby urging and holding the operating rod 117 in this extreme counterclockwise angular position.

Fig. 4 of the drawings shows the lever 120 in a disengaged position with the connected operating rod 117 turned to its extreme clockwise angular position wherein the stop 134 is engaged by and prevents further rotation of the collar 129 keyed to the rod. The line of action of the force exerted by the tension spring 138 is now on the opposite or right side of the dead center position of the eccentric arm 135, thereby serving to urge and hold the operating rod 117 in this extreme clockwise angular position. This over-center arrangement permits the belt-tensioner assembly 122 to be effectively locked in a position wherein the jockey pulley 127 is out of engagement with the belt 140. In this disengaged position the belt is sufficiently loose to slip freely upon the pulleys 142 and 157 and no longer transmits power from the drive shaft 144 to rotate the reel 152.

Keyed to the operating rod 117 intermediate of the brackets 114 and 115 is a clevis-like crank 158, which is hingedly connected at its free end to one end of an adjusting stud 161. The opposite end of the stud 161 is threaded and is slidingly received within a cooperating aperture formed in the free end of the lower arm 162 of a bell crank 163. A compression spring 164, mounted coaxially on the stud 161 between the lower bell crank arm 162 and a threaded adjusting nut 165, urges the arm 162 against a retaining washer secured to the free end of the stud. The bell crank 163 is xedly secured to a horizontal extending stub shaft 166, which is freely rotatable within a sleeve bearing 167 mounted on a hanger 168 projecting outwardly from the bracket plate 110. The free end of the upper arm 169 of the bell crank 163 is provided with a second stub shaft 170 extending horizontally therefrom, which supports a rubber covered pinch roll 171.

When the operating rod 117 is locked in its extreme clockwise angular position, wherein the stop 134 engages the collar 129, the bell crank 163 is held in an extreme counterclockwise angular position (Fig. 4) wherein its associated pinch roll 171 cooperates with a similar pinch roll 172, keyed upon the continuously driven shaft 144, to pressingly engage a continuously advancing conductor 13 therebetween. The conductor 13, advancing from electroforming apparatus 12, is directed between the pinch rolls 171 and 172 by a sheave 192 rotatably mounted on the bracket 10. The pressure exerted by the roll 171 upon the conductor 13 and the cooperating pinch roll 172 is adjustable by means of the particular arrangement by which the lower arm of the bell crank 163 is operatively connected to the stud 161. This pressure adjustment may be accomplished by rotating the threaded nut 165, thereby causing it to move axially along the stud 161 to vary the force exerted by the compression spring 64 on the lower arm 162 of the bell crank 163.

A strand distributor unit, shown generally at 200, is mounted upon a horizontally extending distributor bar 202, which is reciprocated longitudinally by a suitable mechanism of known design (not shown). The distributor unit 200 includes a distributor head 204 rotatably and slidably mounted on an adjusting sleeve 206, which in turn is rotatably mounted on the bar 202 between a retaining collar 208 and a distributor stop collar 210. The collars 208 and 210 are keyed to the bar 202 and prevent axial movement of the sleeve 206 relative to the bar.

lThe distributor head 204 supports a pair of spaced distributor rolls 212-212, the axes of which lie in a diagonally aligned plane perpendicular to the front face of the head. The rolls 212-212 are mounted on shafts 214-214 fixedly secured at one end to the front face of the distributor head 204. The rolls 212-212 serve to guide the conductor 13 advancing therebetween to a particular point on the winding surface of the reel 152.

A cylindrical counterweight arm 218 is threadedly secured to the rear of the distributor head 204 and projects angularly therefrom. Slidably positionable upon the arm 218 is a counterweight 220, which may be selectively positioned at a point along the arm at which 57 the counterclockwise Ymoment caused by the weight of the rolls 212,-212. is substantially equalto the clockwise moment produced by the counterweight.

A stoppin- 222 secured to av projecting top portion of the distributor head 204 is retained between two spaced lugs 223-223 on the distributor stop collar 210, which determine, respectively, the limits of the angular movement of the headv 204. A, threaded adjusting means, shownl generally at 225,l secured to the adjusting sleeve 206, is provided` for accurately aligning the position of the distributor head 204 with respect to the reel 152.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus, a plurality of steel wires -1'0 are advanced into and` through the electroforming apparatus 12, wherein a. coating of copper is electrolytically deposited upon the strands to form the copper covered steel conductors 13-13. 'Ihe conductors 13-13 pass continuously, from the electroforming apparatus 12 over the previously described system of sheaves, including the sheaves 19k-192, toy associated distributor rolls 212-212 of the takeup apparatus 53, which guide each of the conductors toward the Winding surface of a reel 152.

The operating lever 120 of each of the takeup units is normally positioned and held in its extreme counterclockwise angular position, as seen in Fig. 3, wherein the operating rod 117 holds the jockey pulley 127 of the belt-tensioner assembly 122 in pressing contact with the belt 140 with sufficient pressure to permit the belt to slip only a predetermined amount with respect to the pulley 157. In this position, the belt 140 drives the pulley 157, thereby rotating the reel 152 through the arbor 147. As previously mentioned, the distributor head 204 of the strand distributor unit 200 is reciprocated longitudinally by means of the distributor bar 202. As the distributor head 204 reciprocates, it carriees with it the distributor rolls 212-212, which serve to guide the conductor 13 back and forth so that it is distributed uniformly across the winding surface of the takeup reel 152.

When a reel 152 becomes filled, it is necessary to replace this full reel with an empty reel. To do this, an operator rotates the operating lever 120 in a clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby rotating the operating rod 117 in the same direction to carry the jockey pulley 127 out of pressing engagement with the belt 140. Because of the previously mentioned over-center arrangement, the tension spring 138 urges and holds the operating rod 117 in this eXtreme clockwise angular position, thereby effectively locking the jockey pulley 127 in a position out of engagement with the belt 140. The belt 140 is now slackened sufficiently to prevent the pulley 142 from transmitting power from the continuously rotating drive yshaft 144 to the reel 152. Hence, the full reel 152, which is no longer being rotated, may be removed after rst severing the conductor 13 at a point below the pinch rolls 171 and 172. The operator may then position an empty reel in its place and attach the free end of the conductor 13 thereto.

Simultaneously with the disengagement of the jockey pulley 127 from the belt 140, the bell crank 163 is rotated counterclockwise by the clockwise movement of the operating rod 117 to swing the rubber-covered pinch roll 171 into engagement with the advancing conductor 13 so as to press it firmly against the pinch roll 172. As previously mentioned, the pinch roll 172 is keyed to the continuously rotating drive shaft 144 for rotation therewith. Hence, when the conductor 13 is pressed firmly against its periphery by the cooperating pinch roll 171, the roll 172 serves to maintain tension upon the leading end of the conductor and drive it ahead. The leading end of the conductor 13 thereupon continues to spill upon the floor while the operator removes the full reel 152 and completes the; installation of an` empty reel .between the arbors.147 and 153,

VWhen the empty reel is.in position, the. operatorconnects theleadingA endk of the conductor 13,` to the winding surface of the reel 152, after threading the conductor between the distributor rolls 212-212. The operating lever 12.0 is then rotated counterclockwise into its normal operating position, whereupon the idler pulley 1-27 is, urged intopressing engagement with the belt thereby tightening the belt and causing it to resume the-rotation of the reel. In this` manner, the removal of a full reel 152 may be facilitated without interruption of thev progress of the conductor 13 throughv the electroforming apparatus 12, and-an empty reelmay be substituted therefor While maintaining tension on the advancing conductor.

It ismanifest that various4 modifications of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

WhatA isl claimed isz.

1. Apparatus for taking up conductors of indefinite lengths on reels, which comprises a reel-supporting arbor, a. constantly rotating drive shaft, a drive belt operatively connecting the drive shaftl to, the, arbor, ak rotatable. rod, a belt-tensioner mounted on said rod and normally held in engagement with the drive belt whereby said belt is tightened sufficiently to cause the drive shaft to rotate the arbor to wind a conductor upon a reel supported on the arbor, a pinch roll keyed upon the drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pivotal arm, a freely rotatable pinch roll mounted on said arm, the pinch rolls being positioned so that the conductor passes therebetween, means operatively connecting the arm to the rod for pivotal movement of the arm, and means for turning said rod to disengage the belttensioner from the belt so as to disconnect the arbor from the drive shaft and to simultaneously move the arm to cause the freely rotatable pinch roll to force the conductor into pressing engagement with the constantly rotating pinch roll to thereby continue the positive advance of the strand.

2. Apparatus for taking up conductors of indefinite lengths on reels, which comprises a reel-supporting arbor, a constantly rotating drive shaft, a drive belt operatively connecting the drive shaft to the arbor, a rotatable rod, a belt-tensioner mounted on said rod and normally held in engagement with the drive belt whereby said belt is tightened sufficiently to cause the drive shaft to rotate the arbor to wind a conductor upon a reel supported on the arbor, a reciprocating distributor for distributing the conductor uniformly upon the winding surface of the reel, a pinch roll keyed upon the drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pivotal arm, a freely rotatable pinch roll mounted on said arm, the pinch rolls being positioned so that the conductor passes therebetween, means operatively connecting the arm to the rod for pivotal movement of the arm, and means for turning said rod to disengage the belttensioner from the belt so as to disconnect the arbor from the drive shaft and to simultaneously move the arm to cause the freely rotatable pinch roll to force the conductor into pressing engagement with the constantly rotating pinch roll to thereby continue the positive advance of the strand.

3. Apparatus for taking up `conductors of indefinite lengths on reels, which comprises a reel-supporting arbor, a constantly rotating drive shaft, a drive belt operatively connecting the drive shaft to the arbor, a rotatable rod, a belt-tensioner mounted on said rod, resilient means for normally urging the rotatable rod into a position wherein the belt-tensioner is held in engagement with the drive belt whereby said belt is tightened sufficiently to cause the drive shaft to rotate the arbor to wind a conductor upon a reel supported on the arbor, a pinch roll keyed upon the drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pivotal arm, a freely rotatable pinch roll mounted on said arm, the pinch rolls being positioned so that the conductor passes therebetween, means operatively connecting the arm to the rotatable rod for pivotal movement of the arm, means for actuating said rod to disengage the belt-tensioner from the drive belt so as to disconnect the arbor from the drive shaft and to simultaneously move the arm to cause a freely rotatable pinch roll to force the conductor into pressing engagement with the constantly rotating pinch roll to thereby continue the positive advance of the strand, and an over-center means for effectively locking the rod in either of its actuated positions.

4. Apparatus for taking up conductors of indenite lengths on reels, which comprises a plurality of reel-supporting arbors, a constantly rotating drive shaft, a plurality of drive belts operatively connecting the drive shaft to the arbors, a plurality of rotatable rods mounted so that one rod is positioned adjacent to each of the arbors, a belttensioner ixedly mounted on each of the rotatable rods for movement therewith, said belt-tensioner being normally held in engagement With its associated drive belt Whereby said belt is tightened sufciently to cause the drive shaft to rotate its associated arbor to wind a conductor upon a reel supported on said arbor, a reciprocating bar, a plurality of distributors mounted on the bar so that a distributor is positioned adjacent to each of the arbors for distributing the conductor uniformly upon the Winding surface of the reel, a pair of relatively movable pinch rolls positioned adjacent to each of the arbors, means for driving one of each of the pairs of pinch rolls from the drive shaft, means operatively connecting one of each of the pairs of pinch rolls to an associated rod, and selective means for turning any one of the rotatable rods to disengage the connected belt-tensioner from its associated drive belt so as to disconnect the associated arbor from the drive shaft and to simultaneously cause the associated pinch rolls to move into pressing engagement with the conductor therebetween to thereby continue the positive advance of said conductor.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,397 Parvin Oct. 19, 1943 2,357,389 Ferm Sept. 5, 1944 2,424,021 Cook July 15, 1947 2,449,234 Knoble Sept. 14, 1948 2,527,502 Simison et al Oct. 24, 1950 2,561,736 Hanson July 24, 1951 2,563,642 Colombu et al Aug. 7, 1951 

